Sri Lankan troops capture rebel airstrip

Colombo, Dec 24 (Xinhua) Sri Lankan troops have captured an airstrip of the Tamil Tiger rebels in the country’s north, defence officials said Wednesday.The airstrip was located 15 km east of Mankulam town that was captured by Army’s Task Force 3 this week.

“This was the third rebel airstrip captured by the troops in their latest operations (in the country’s north),” military spokesman Brigadier Udaya Nanayakkara told reporters.

The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam’s (LTTE) light aircraft have carried out at least eight air raids on different locations since March 2007.

Meanwhile, Air Force spokesman Janaka Nanayakkara said that three separate air raids were conducted Wednesday morning on rebel targets.

The raids successfully targeted Paranthan and Muhamalai forward defence lines of the rebels, he added.